Senior Team

Deborah Hammons –Chief Executive Officer

Deborah Hammons is recognized as a leader both locally and provincially in transforming the health care system.

Under her leadership, the LHIN organization is continuing to implement its third Integrated Health Service Plan, focusing on four strategic aims relating to improvements in services for seniors, vascular health, strengthening the system of supports for people with mental health and addictions issues and palliative care.

Her collaborative leadership style has led to the development of a number of LHIN-wide processes including the launch of the first LHIN-led Regional Specialized Geriatrics Services entity now called the Seniors Care Network, which is focused on services for the frail senior population in the Central East region. This same approach to delivering value-add, client-focused care is reflected in an impressive number of successful integrations that have taken place in the mental health and community sectors. Additionally, she has worked with the leadership from the LHIN’s hospitals to achieve balanced budget positions, which have resulted in close to $200 million in savings being reinvested back into the local health care system.

As the provincial lead for the Long Term Care Service Accountability Agreements Steering Committee, Ms. Hammons has worked with provincial long-term care associations to develop new accountability templates now in use between LHINs and long-term care homes across the province.

Ms. Hammons, who began her career in healthcare as a nurse, has held senior positions in healthcare organizations throughout Canada including the Vancouver General Hospital, the Ottawa General Hospital, the Toronto Hospital and the Hamilton Health Sciences Corporation. As Executive Director of Fairhaven, a long term care home in Peterborough, she added to her list of professional accomplishments by overseeing the development of a new $25.5 million facility, leading the organization in achieving their first 3-year CCHSA Accreditation, and implementing an Information Strategic Plan to create a state-of-the-art computerized environment.

Ms. Hammons has served on the board of the Ontario Association of Non-Profit Homes and Services for Seniors, is a member of Canadian College of Health Leaders, and was a surveyor for the Canadian Council on Health Services Accreditation (CCHSA).

Brian Laundry – Senior Director, System Design and Integration

Brian Laundry joined the LHIN in 2007 as a Senior Integration Consultant and has been responsible for leading multi-provider teams to deliver on innovative projects including the Central East Senior Friendly Hospital strategy; the Sustainable Access report which details current post-acute care utilization and future health care needs; Behavioral Supports Ontario, an initiative to improve care for people living with responsive behaviors; and, the Integrated Orthopedic Capacity Plan to develop and implements future service delivery models for orthopedic surgery and rehabilitation care.

Brian has also provided leadership to the LHIN’s Community Health Services Integration activities by working with community-based providers in the Scarborough cluster to more effectively align standard services for clients.

One of Brian’s current areas of focus has been supporting the development and rollout of the LHIN’s Health Links strategy, a provincially-led initiative to improve care to patients with complex needs by ensuring that providers are supported to work better together.

With more than 25 years’ experience in Ontario’s health care sector, Brian’s expertise in Community Health and Epidemiology has been reflected in the diversity of the roles he has had during his eight years at the LHIN including Interim Lead, Mental Health and Addiction; Lead, Wait Times; and Lead, Quality Improvement and Evaluation.

Stewart Sutley provides strategic advice and financial and performance management leadership to the Central East LHIN.

Stewart previously served the Waterloo Wellington LHIN in several key roles, including the Senior Director of Performance and Accountability and the Senior Director of Planning, Integration and Community Engagement. In these roles, Stewart led the implementation of the first required integration of clinical services under Ontario’s Local Health System Integration Act and helped drive all area hospitals into a sustained, balanced financial position.

Stewart has a long history with the Government of Ontario, where he has worked with the Ministries of Health and Long-Term Care, Finance, Management Board Secretariat, Children and Youth Services, and Education. Following his support for Management Board of Cabinet as a member of the Health Team in Management Board Secretariat and, later, the Ministry of Finance, Stewart held the positions of Senior Manager, Primary Health Care Policy and Design, and Coordinator, Physician Services, in the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

Stewart completed his undergraduate degree and graduate degrees in Political Science at the University of Calgary, McGill University, and the University of Alberta. Stewart has taught and researched in the areas of his academic expertise at three Canadian universities, published in five countries, and traveled to more than 30 nations.